Title
Understanding war in Afghanistan / by Joseph J. Collins.
ISBN
9780160888311
016088831X
Publication Details
Washington, DC : National Defense University Press, 2011.
Language
English
Description
xix, 137 p. : col. maps ; 23 cm.
Call Number
DS371.412 .C65 2011
Dewey Decimal Classification
958.104/7
GPO Item No.
0378-H-01
Summary
U.S. and allied strategy in Afghanistan is at a crossroads. Fiscal pressures in the West, the end of the surge, the turnover of key areas to Afghan security forces, the drawdown of forces, and the preliminary efforts at reconciliation and reintegration add importance to the study of this topic. Understanding War in Afghanistan aims to provide military leaders, civil servants, diplomats, and students with the intellectual basis that they need to begin to prepare for further study of or an assignment in Afghanistan. This book analyzes the land and its people, recaps Afghan history, and assesses the current situation. It also examines the range of choices for future U.S. policy toward Afghanistan. General David Petraeus praises Understanding War in Afghanistan as "an outstanding primer for soldiers and diplomats deploying for their first tour in the shadow of the Hindu Kush; those with extensive time on the ground will find the annotated bibliography full of excellent suggestions for further study."--Publisher description.
Note
Shipping list no.: 2011-0391-P.
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 121-136).
Land, people, and culture
The struggle for independence, modernization, and development
The Saur "revolution" and the Soviet-Afghan War, 1978-1989
The civil war and the advent of the Taliban
9/11 and the war against the Taliban government
Insurgency: theory and practice
The second war against the Taliban and the struggle to rebuild Afghanistan
The surge
A current assessment and contending options
Conclusion.
